Going Up
by Raloire
Summary: A series of drabbles with various pairings and AU's. Featuring Persona 3, Minato & Hamuko. Latest Drabble - Foul
1. Love

**Love**

To say that Death loved the Arisato twins would be no lie. Perhaps even an understatement.

He was a part of them for ten years, barely a blink for him but he learnt so much about humanity from their example.

He loves them both dearly and it pains him, inflicts such despair onto him to watch them suffer through their final months.

Death waits for them to sleep before taking them, carefully and painlessly and they greet him with open arms.


	2. Family

**Family**

The word 'Family' hadn't been part of her life for a long time, of course she'd been shipped from relative to relative ever since her parents' death; in her earlier years she'd stayed with her Grandmother in a small rural town called Inaba and up until three or so years ago she'd lived with her Uncle in France but they weren't really family.

Apparently she looked a lot like her Aunt and her Grandmother hated being reminded of her children's early deaths. She hated Hamuko's presence almost as much as the roar of an engine.

Her Uncle sent her straight to Boarding School, she never saw that much of him.

Regardless of its long absence she found her own family eventually; in a small dorm in Iwatodai.

She's never been happier.


	3. Nightmare - Death

**Nightmare – Death**

She's on the roof with Yukari, holding a Naginata in her hands; it feels heavy and a little voice is nagging at her _'You're holding it wrong, your arms are too stiff, come on Hamuko this is serious. Stop acting half-asleep.' _

The girl in pink gives her a weary smile, tells her that they _should _be safe now.

She thinks that maybe, this has happened before and she is certain that they are anything but safe.

Her naginata clatters to the ground as it shakes and that, that thing, _'Magician' _the voice identifies, pulls itself onto the roof.

Hamuko feels sick with panic; everything's a blur of fire, guns, Yukari's hurt, pick it up, we're going to die, boy in stripes, shoot yourself in the head.

She summons Orpheus with familiarity and ease, yes she's definitely done this before.

Thanatos rips his way out of Orpheus' mouth and she feels like she's being torn apart. Her heart pounding against her ribcage, has decided that leaping out of her throat won't be fast enough so it's trying to eject itself from her chest.

The coffins are different, wrong. She knows what he's supposed to look like, this is _wrong. _

There are familiar faces with their expression torn into what looks like many failed attempts of horrified screaming, the silence is deafening in its own way and her knee's feel weak; she feels sick with fear, guilt, panic, despair.

She recognises a few of the faces, the others are flickering; they're one face then another, red hair, white hair, a hat?, blue hair, a child, a dog? Her parents, her long dead twin brother with a missing eye, her aunt, her grandmother, Shinjiro and Chidori.

Thanatos turns and rips the Magician apart and she makes out one last face.

It's much paler than it usually is, bears a content smile and is undeniably hers.


	4. Roll

**Roll**

Minato feels the sunlight on his face so naturally he rolls to his side, his nose scrunches slightly as he tries to go back to sleep.

Had his bed always been this comfortable? And since when had he needed to sleep? Ever since he became the Great Seal he's-

He's in a bed, not his own, this one has bars on the sides of it, to prevent him from rolling out of it maybe? It's not important. He's breathing, he's hungry, no _starving _oh what he'd do for some ramen right now_, _and he-

Minato opens his eyes.

He hears Elizabeth's voice.


	5. Annoyance

**Annoyance**

"Tray Ben…? What is that, French? Lousy seniors and their lousy French."

Yukari almost agrees with him, but stops when she sees Hamuko's nose scrunch in annoyance, as if he'd insulted her somehow. Didn't she mention living in France for several years once?

"Tu n'avez pas à être impoli. Il n'ya rien de mal avec le français." The Leader's pace increased and she gave a bright smile, "Et Junpei, il est pronounce 'très bien'."

After she's left to catch up with the seniors, Junpei's shoulders sag and he gives a loud groan.

"Her too? Urgh why am I surprised."


	6. Repeat

**Repeat**

Minato closed his eyes on Aigis' lap and opened them again to the sound of a nostalgic announcement.

"_We will shortly be arriving at Iwatodai Station."_

* * *

He brushes if off as a dream but is uncomfortably forced to face the truth moments later when the streets are filled with coffins, and again when Yukari points an evoker at his head.

He's more cheerful and open this time round, even getting to know his other teammates such as Akihiko, Shinjiro and Ken better. After all he's been friends with them all for a year, there's no reason to revert back to his quiet, shyer self he was last time.

It's a blessing really, knowing the future that is, Minato takes it all in stride with a new determination inside of him.

He manages to save Chidori and Shinjiro, they're both comatose but it was the best he could do without rising any suspicion.

He closes his eyes on Aigis' lap and…


	7. Control

**Control**

* * *

_Extension__ of Repeat_

* * *

He's frustrated this time, his team-mates think it's because of the pressure of being the leader. Misuru even apologises to him for 'everything he's going through. He must already be in shock from this extra hour that being responsible for others' lives must just be too much' and so on.

After that the role of Leader is shared and Junpei doesn't suffer from his obnoxious jealousy like the times before, or at least he never brings it up.

Minato saves Chidori and Shinjiro by killing Takaya, it's easy to claim that his persona went out of control. He uses Thanatos to emphasis this, though he collapses from the effort to summon a persona he hasn't earned yet this time around.

They don't bring him on as many missions after that and he ends up isolated from the 2nd years who just _can't _believe he killed someone.

He thinks that he may have traumatised Ken, who witnessed the murder. Ken never tries to kill Shinjiro this time around and that's enough for Minato, the kid hates him and looks at him with disgust and relief that he never became anything like him.

He's seen so many sides to his old friends but never before has there been a constant air of tension in the dorm, the paranoia and wariness to cling to their spirits and wear them down almost to their breaking points.

But in the long run he's glad that they're all going to live, once this year is over they're all be happy, he's sure of it.

He closes his eyes on Aigis' lap and…


	8. Powerless

**Powerless**

* * *

_Extension of Repeat_

* * *

This time he's beyond pissed, how many times does his have to die? He's done his part again and again and again and again, so why can't he just stay dead?

He doesn't hide his strength this time round and his old friends are so powerless compared to him and so, so terrified by him it would break his heart if he took the time to stop and notice.

He's soft around Aigis, he overhears the others talking about how his personality does an 180 when she's around.

He closes his eyes on Aigis' lap and…


	9. Charm

**Charm**

* * *

_Extension of Repeat_

* * *

He charms practically everyone he knows this time round.

His reputation and popularity soar in ways they've never before, practically eclipising Akihiko's and Ryoji's. Though he doubts that they mind that.

He knows almost all of SEES; (with the exceptions of Junpei, Ken and Koromaru of course that'd be wrong in ways no one needs to explain, and Ikutsuki too if he counts as anything but a traitor), in ways he'd never thought of before along with almost the whole 2nd year.

He does this a few times after he closes his eyes on Aigis' lap, as it helps him forget that he's repeating himself.

* * *

He closes his eyes on Yukari's lap and…

* * *

He closes his eyes on Mitsuru's lap and…

* * *

He kills Ryoji and…

* * *

He closes his eyes on Fuuka's lap and…

* * *

He closes his eyes on Akihiko's lap and…

* * *

He kills Ryoji and…

* * *

He kills Ryoji and…

* * *

He closes his eyes on Shinjiro's lap and…


	10. Cruel

**Cruel**

* * *

_Extension of Repeat_

* * *

This time he's cruel. He wants to hate these people and make them despise him; he wants to, he wants to, he wants to.

Maybe then he can die, maybe he's been clinging to them all far too much. Maybe they've been clinging to him far too much.

He doesn't care, he wants to hate them he wants to hate them so badly that he'd let them all die.

He can't do it to everyone, but he knows just how to get under their skin and his name is mostly just a curse to those attending Gekkoukan High.

Not to SEES, he tries but the words die in his throat even if they hate the way he treats everyone else, they can't understand how he can be so kind to them and then make his classmates cry with such ease.

Ryoji receives the worst he has to offer, but he bears it all with a smile and acts as if they're good friends nonetheless and he hates that, why is it that he can't remember the decades that have passed of this one awful year.

He closes his eyes on Aigis' lap and…


	11. Sorrow

**Sorrow**

* * *

_Extension of Repeat_

* * *

He's quiet. Minato rarely uses his voice anymore, now whenever he tries his voice tends to croak and his throat hurts. He was quiet the first time around too but never like this.

Many of his classmates mistake him for being mute, until they figure out he's simply ignoring them and leave with an annoyed huff.

SEES is still friendly with him, he's their silent leader and somehow still a good friend to them all.

He ignores Ryoji when he arrives at Gekkoukan High, he turns the music on his headphones up, up, up until he's sure that everyone around him can hear it too and lets Junpei do the talking.

Then one afternoon on the school roof, Junpei runs off and leaves the two together, coincidently on the same day that Minato's headphones have mysteriously disappeared. (He suspects that this is Junpei's way at trying to get his best friends to connect.)

"Y'know," Ryoji gives him a sad smile as he pauses as if he's not sure that Minato is listening at all, "I think I preferred the years when we got along."

He drops his lunch and stands, turning and punching the boy in the face with all the force he has in himself. Ryoji falls backwards onto the floor, his legs still on the bench as he blinks up at him and rubs his left cheek; he moves forward and punches him again and again and then stops beginning to sob loudly, curling up into a ball next to the unharmed boy in the yellow scarf. Ryoji sits up and gently places his hands on Minato's shoulders and tugs slightly so that he's weeping against his chest.

The next week they both tell them SEES the truth. They don't hate him, he's saved Chidori and Shinjiro with his knowledge after all and now they know that they can win against Nyx. Some of them are glad to hear his voice for the first time, Aigis especially.

Then Ryoji drops a bomb on them all and tells them how Minato's going die at the end of the year, they yell at him for not saying anything and spend their last few months frantically searching for a solution.

He closes his eyes on Aigis' lap and…


	12. Fate

**Fate**

* * *

_Extension of Repeat_

* * *

He closes his eyes on Aigis' lap and opens them again to the sound of the announcement.

'_We will shortly be arriving at Iwatodai Station.'_

The fact is that Minato was already dead when he heard it for the first time.


	13. Breaking the Rules

**Breaking the Rules**

Entering Tartarus alone was strictly forbidden and Hamuko knew that if she was caught sneaking back into the dorm after midnight she'd rather tell them about her routinely visits to Club Escapade than risk execution from Mitsuru.

That's if she can get home unharmed and somehow hide her Naginata and armour from them.

Normally she wouldn't have to do this, but they weren't leaving her much choice here. Hamuko already knew her choice, she _wasn't _going to be killing anyone and really if they knew Nyx was coming they shouldn't be wallowing in despair the way they were but training. Training like they've never trained before, because they need to be stronger than ever, can't let themselves get out of shape, they have to be stronger than human to win.

Hamuko swung her Naginata upwards, preparing herself to summon Odin and get on with killing the group of shadows surrounding her.

Of course she understands why they can't come to Tartarus with her; it doesn't make it any less frustrating, it didn't make her feel any less weak.

She had been the vessel for death for so long, she has to take responsibility. She has to _destroy _Nyx, or at least stop it and give it her all so it knows that Humanity will never take the Fall lying down.

And no simple rule was going to stop her.


	14. No Way Out

**No Way Out**

* * *

_Extension of Breaking the Rules_

* * *

Hamuko knew her limits; she wasn't going to overexert them in place where it meant life or death so when she began to feel tired she headed to the closest teleporter.

She tried to activate it, waiting for its usual glow to envelop her and take her back to the entrance.

Nothing happened.

She tried again, and she tried again, and she tried again in a slightly different way from before.

Still nothing.

Apparently the teleporter needed to be activated and monitored from both sides. This was ridiculous and Hamuko gave a groan before she sat down in front of machine willing it to turn on.

Her only other option was to walk back down to the entrance, but she was near the peak of the Harabah Block there's no way she could possibly hope to get back to the entrance.

Groaning again, louder this time and more exasperated she wrapped her arms around her knees and then buried her hands against her face, her Naginata by her feet completely unneeded on this isolated floor.

Surely this meant certain Death or certain Execution.

The thoughts rolled around in her mind lazily until she grasped onto the word 'Death'. Dee-aa-th, Pharos, Ryoji, Reaper.

Would the Reaper hunt her here on this floor if she stayed there for too long?

Only time could tell.


	15. Crazy

**Crazy**

* * *

_Extension of No Way Out_

* * *

Hamuko jolted awake next to the machine and darted back to the wall, expecting to see the Reaper. Her shoulders relaxed when she saw her friends there instead, though right now Akihiko's expression threatens to rival the fear of being caught by the Reaper.

She notices that it's just him, Junpei and Yukari as she gets back onto her feet. That's a dangerously small group considering how much training they've been neglecting recently.

"What were you thinking, coming into Tartarus all on your own? Without telling anyone?" The words come out as a whisper and Junpei and Yukari start eyeing him nervously, she's going to be executed when she gets home, hell she might be executed twice here and there.

"I needed to-"

"We've been driving ourselves crazy trying to find you, did you know that? You've been missing for _days_."

She doesn't know what to say to that, obviously time moves differently in Tartarus but days really? God she's going to suffer a hundred executions.

Of course she explains herself, explains the situation but it doesn't change the fact that she lied about going to work, risked her life and made them worry about her for nearly a week.

"Once we get home you're grounded."

"For a year" Yukari adds, which is horribly unfair but a promise all the same. Maybe, just maybe she won't have to worry about their decision at the end of the month.


	16. Foul

**Foul**

Sometimes he wishes Minato had died instead of her.

It's a foul feeling, a terrible resentment that's buried its way into his heart and damn it Minato is his friend and she choose this; she would've hated it otherwise though everyone knows Minato hates it himself too.

He knows the feeling's mutual amongst the group, it hangs heavy in the air on some days and they all hate it. Hamuko grounded them in many ways and now everything's so detached its surreal; she was a lot closer to them for the majority of the year in comparison to her reserved brother though he's come out of his shell since.

Sometimes he imagines a life after Gekkoukan High with her, imagines kissing her goodbye before they both head out to work.

But she's dead; she died alone on the roof. They probably could've gotten to her in time, Aigis definitely could've if she hadn't looked for Minato first.

In a few days the dorm is going to be closed down and he just hopes that this bitter feeling will have passed by then.


End file.
